Ballard series armored vehicles
The Ballard series armored vehicles are military vehicles in Just Cause (1). There are 3 vehicles in this series. The vehicles are so similar that it's simpler and better to keep them in a single article. The 3 vehicles Appearance The lower parts of the vehicles are identical. They have 8 wheels. Real 8 wheeled vehicles have at least 4 wheels that turn, but the game limitations don't allow more than the 2 front wheels to turn. The engine is at the rear. The rear ends of the side walls have fuel canisters connected to them. They all have invisible machine-guns at the right side of the front wall. The vehicles don't appear to be based on any one real armored vehicle, instead they are made up of the elements of several. The body looks like that of the LAV-25/ASLAV, but the wheels are bigger, the Ballard series doesn't have rear doors and the much more powerful weapons would classify them as armoured fighting vehicles rather than light armoured vehicles (military armoured cars). Performance It's a lot faster then one might expect from a vehicle that looks like that, but won't out-drive any sports cars. It drifts a little at its maximum speed. Weapons The machine-gun is visible as a small mounted gun below the right headlight. The mounting used for the gun does not appear to be movable in any way, so it is unknown how it can be aimed. Perhaps the San Esperito Military developed guided bullets? It can be used against all targets (even vehicles), but it will take time before it manages to do any worthwhile damage to them, although it is very powerful and accurate against infantry. The vehicle's main weapon, however, depends on the variant in use; Ballard M5B1 Scout: *Has the turret of a tank. *Front machine-gun. Ballard Sentry STRL - 14: *Has a multiple rocket-launch system (MRLS) turret. Rockets are automatically programmed to aim themselves downwards, allowing it to be used similarly to a howitzer. Theoretically, it can be used to kill enemies on the other side of a hill in this way. *Front machine-gun Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21: *Has a quad anti-aircraft heavy machine-gun turret, with a little radar antenna. *Front machine-gun Survivability / armor They are completely bullet-proof and they can survive 3 direct hits from rockets and the Ballard M5B1 Scout's gun, before the fourth hit causes the vehicle to catch fire and explode. If another vehicle explodes too close to it, then the explosion can send it flying to a short distance. This will damage the vehicle. It's important to note that these vehicles can sometimes be encountered in missions where they may sometimes be either indestructible or much more lightly armored. Plus, unlike other vehicles, their tires never blow (you can even try it yourself) so, they never lose handling from tire burst. Name Unlike the DTWV-2 vehicles, these vehicles do not have a specified name for the series. However, if the M5B1's tank turret is were a modification to an original design, the "B1" designation may have been added to specify that modification, which would mean that the M5 is the default name. This corresponds with the designation system of the United States Military, which many of San Esperito's military vehicles are named after. Thus, the series can be called the "Ballard M5" series. Ballard M5B1 Scout This version has the turret of a tank. Being armed with a Tank gun, it's effective against all targets. A skilled operator can even shoot down helicopters. There's a unique unmarked brown one hidden in a forest. The area has a few small houses and there are civilians walking around, but it's not known who owns it. It may be privately owned, or the area may be a hidden/abandoned military outpost. It's located in a small valley, surrounded by steep cliffs. The jungle keeps it completely hidden from aerial observation. Unless you want to jump off a cliff, it can only be approached from the north. The valley entrance has a wire fence with barbed wire at the top edge - just like the fences around some military bases. There's a gap in the middle of the fence, so it's not really obstructing anything. Be careful when driving it out, as the red barrel next to some wooden boxes will explode when hit. That won't destroy the vehicle, but why remove ~25% of its health? Perhaps it's meant to keep out intruders who attempt to drive this vehicle away? There is a version with San Esperito Police Department markings that appears in Guerrilla sidemissions as a vehicle that needs to be captured. When the crew exits the vehicle, they are revealed to be soldiers rather than police. It's unknown why the military is operating police-marked Ballards. Also see the video section. It's turret looks a bit like a shrunken Panther tank or T-34/76 Locations and users Gallery San Esperito Military version Ballard M5B1 Scout (military, front).png Ballard M5B1 Scout (military, rear).png Ballard Sky.png|One can use the turret rotation glitch to get pretty high. Ballard Underside.png|The underside of the vehicle, showing that the tires aren't actually attached. Ballard M5B1 Scout Left Side.png Ballard M5B1 Scout Right Side.png Ballard M5B1 Scout Top.png Ballard M5B1 Scout Front.png Ballard M5B1 Scout Back.png Black Hand version Ballard M5B1 Scout (Black Hand, front).png|At the President's Palace on Isla Dominio. Ballard M5B1 Scout (Black Hand, rear).png Guerrilla version Ballard M5B1 Scout (guerrilla, front).png Ballard M5B1 Scout (guerrilla, rear).png Ballard M5B1 Scout glitch inverted decals.png|This picture shows the inverted decals, as the letters "ERL" are backwards. Rioja Cartel version Ballard M5B1 Scout, front view..jpg Ballard M5B1 Scout.png|Next to a Delta MAH-15 Chimaera at Esperito City. Ballard M5B1 Scout, side view from behind..jpg Ballard M5B1 Scout, side view..jpg Miscellaneous Ballard M5B1 Scout (hidden 2).png|The location of the hidden one. Ballard M5B1 Scout (hidden).png|The hidden one is below the helicopter. Ballard M5B1 Scout at a hidden location on Provincia de los Guerreros.png|View of the hidden one. Ballard M5B1 Scout (unmarked, brown, hidden).png|Brown hidden variant. Ballard M5B1 Scout (police).png|Police variant. Launched Ballard.png|The turret glitch doesn't just affect the player. The vehicle in the foreground is a Harland DTWV-2 AA-Gun. Ballard M5B1 Scout (at Rioja 04 safehouse).JPG|This is one of the few vehicles that can drive to Rioja 04 Eagles Nest. Other vehicles that can do this are The Vampire, Rotor industries ATRV and possibly a few others. Ballard hull machine gun.png|Close-up of the hull-mounted machine gun. Ballard Sentry STRL - 14 This version has a multiple rocket-launcher turret. The rocket-launcher has 12 visible rockets, but as all other vehicle weapons, it has infinite ammunition. The rocket-launcher cannot be used against flying machines and it doesn't have much range. In the beginning cutscene of Broadcast News, Tom Sheldon is playing JC1 (this is an Easter Egg) and he is controlling one of these. However, he doesn't have one in reality. Locations and users Gallery San Esperito Military version Ballard Sentry STRL - 14.png|at the Costa Brava military base Military Sentry 1.png Military Sentry 2.png Ballard Sentry STRL-14 Rear.png Ballard Sentrty STRL-14 Side.png Ballard Sentry STRL-14 Front.png Ballard Sentry STRL-14 Back.png Ballard Sentry STRL-14 Top.png Black Hand version Black Hand Sentry.png Black Hand Sentry 2.png Miscellaneous Easter Egg Sentry STRL.png|Close-up of the unmarked cut-scene variant. The -Black Hand- version of -Ballard Sentry STRL - 14- (left) and -Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21- (right) during a Guerrilla sidemission..jpg|The Black Hand version of the Ballard Sentry STRL - 14 (left) and Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21 (right) during a Guerrilla sidemission. Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21 This is the anti-aircraft version. Armed with a quad (4) barreled anti-aircraft heavy machine-gun, this version is effective against all helicopters, just like the Ballard M5B1 Scout's gun, but it has a greater angle of vertical fire. The weapon is useless against ground vehicles. The turret has a little radar antenna. The turret resembles the real world ZSU-23-4. Locations and users Gallery San Esperito Military version Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21.png|At the Octava military camp. Military Centronnel.png Military Centronnel Rear.png Ballard Centronnel AAWV-21 Rear.png Ballard Centronnel AAWV-21 Top.png Ballard Centronnel AAWV-21 Front.png Ballard Centronnel AAWV-21 Back.png Ballard Centronnel AAWV-21 Side.png Ballard Centronnel AAWV-21 Turret.png|Close-up of the details on top of the Centronnel's turret. Black Hand version Black Hand Centronnel.png|on Isla Dominio. Black Hand Centronnel Rear.png| Miscellaneous The -Black Hand- version of -Ballard Sentry STRL - 14- (left) and -Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21- (right) during a Guerrilla sidemission..jpg|The "Black Hand" version of "Ballard Sentry STRL - 14" (left) and "Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21" (right) during a Guerrilla sidemissions. Unmarked Centronnel.png|Unmarked brown variant, in the mission Sink the Buccaneer. Anti-Air Base Location.png|The location of the San Esperito Military Centronnel. Some Enchanted Evening Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21.JPG|A San Esperito Military version heading to the new safehouse while a military Huerta Mesa and MVs desperately try to make it go off course kill Rico. Trivia *On all three of the vehicles, the wheels aren't actually attached to the underside, but rather the vehicle itself is floating above the tires. See picture above. **The Harland series armoured vehicles have the same glitch. *All three of the Ballards have a glitch where if you rotate the turret too fast, the entire vehicle will spin around, flip over, or possibly even launch in any direction. See above pictures. **The Harland series armoured vehicles are also affected by this, thought not as severely because they have smaller turrets. * The decals on the front and left side of the Ballard are always inverted, as seen in a picture above, but the decals on the rear and right side are normal. *Unlike every other vehicle in the game, the Ballard will not immediately explode upon being turned upside down. Video This video shows how looks two versions of the Ballard M5B1 Scout: the Military and Guerrilla version's Category:Just Cause Vehicles Category:Military Vehicles Category:Content